Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud asked the Centre whether the Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir could have ever stopped the President of India from abrogating Article 370. Article 370 empowers the President to abrogate it, but not before seeking and getting the “recommendation” of the Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir. The proviso to Article 370(3) underscores that the recommendation of the Constituent Assembly of the State “shall be necessary before the President issues a notification” repealing Article 370.
Russia-India energy ties to increase this year, says Trade Commissioner
Marking the 70th anniversary of commercial ties, Russia and India will launch major energy initiatives and a business club to connect big business houses on both sides more closely, Russian Trade Commissioner Alexander Rybas has said. In a written interview to The Hindu, Mr. Rybas, who is the highest ranking Russian trade representative in India, said withdrawal of western companies from Russia had opened opportunities for Indian pharmaceutical, energy, and food industries in Russia and that the fertilizer sector was one of the priorities for both sides.
Indians more likely to believe nation’s influence is growing: Pew survey
India enjoyed a positive image across 23 countries, with a median of 46% adults holding a favourable view of India, while a median of 34% held unfavourable views, according to an international survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, a Washington DC-based fact tank. The report also detailed how outside India, substantial respondents in many countries did not offer an opinion on India or PM Modi, with 40% of U.S. adults surveyed saying they had never heard of Mr. Modi.
MGNREGS deadline for mandatory Aadhaar-based wage payments extended till December 31
With 41% of job card holders under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme still unprepared for Aadhaar-based wage payments, the Union government has extended its deadline to mandate such payments till the end of the year. This is the fifth extension of the deadline so far.
Railways to expedite installation of fire safety systems on trains
The Indian Railways will take up expeditious installation of three types of fire safety systems on all types of passenger coaches. The decision to speed up provision of fire-fighting infrastructure on trains was taken in the second week of August. According to official sources, the Railway Board has directed General Managers of all Zonal Railways to expeditiously complete the process of providing fire and smoke detection system in AC coaches, fire detection and suppression system in pantry cars and power cars and fire extinguishers in non-AC coaches.
BSP to go solo in 2024 elections, says Mayawati
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati declared that the party will fight the 2024 Lok Sabha elections alone, although other parties are eager for an alliance with the BSP. The BSP leader described the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as “anti-poor, casteist, communal and capitalist”, adding the BSP will offer an alternative to people.
India tops YouTube’s charts for removal of videos violating its community guidelines
India topped YouTube’s charts for removal of videos violating its community guidelines. India has consistently been the top country to witness the removal of videos since 2020, for violating the company’s community guidelines. The country also topped the charts for videos flagged by humans for suspected violations. Interestingly, a large majority of the videos removed by YouTube violated the company’s child safety policy, 30.8%, while 20% of videos were removed for being violent and graphic in nature, and 11% were removed for harassment and cyberbullying.
G-20 must help deal with glaring inequities revealed by COVID-19: WHO special envoy
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a “glaring inequity” of access to vaccines and treatments, which must be bridged before another such outbreak hits the world, said Ayoade Alakija, a global leader in the field of pandemic preparedness and response, co-chair of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, and a World Health Organisation (WHO) Special Envoy. She urged the G-20 to help develop a “new global playbook” that will facilitate regional self-sufficiency as well as equitable allocation and access.
Congress plans to replicate Karnataka’s ‘models of governance’ across the country: Rahul Gandhi
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the Congress plans to replicate the “models of governance” in Karnataka, represented by the guarantee schemes, across the rest of the country. Addressing a mammoth gathering at the launch of Karnataka government’s flagship Gruha Lakshmi scheme — the fourth of the five guarantees which envisages payment of ₹2,000 every month to women head of families in the State — at a function in Mysuru, Mr. Gandhi described the guarantee schemes as “governance models.” The Congress party plans to replicate the work taken up by the Government of Karnataka, particularly for empowerment of women, across the country, he said, adding that “Karnataka was showing the way for the entire country.”
Nuh Clashes: Cow vigilante Bittu Bajrangi gets bail
Cow vigilante Bittu Bajrangi, arrested in connection with communal clashes in Nuh earlier this month, was granted bail by a court, police said. Mr. Bajrangi alias Raj Kumar was arrested from Faridabad on August 15 after a fresh FIR was registered against him at Nuh's Sadar Police Sation on a complaint of Assistant Superintendent of Police Usha Kundu.
U.S. says its firms could deem Chinese business environment 'too risky'
Business in China could become "too risky" for U.S. firms without changes to the regulatory environment, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo warned as she wrapped up a visit to the world's second-largest economy. The business environment in China "has to be predictable, there has to be a level playing field, there has to be due process, there has to be transparency", she told a press conference near Shanghai.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy hospitalised
JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has been hospitalised in Bengaluru after he complained of weakness and discomfort in the limbs. He was rushed to Apollo Speciality Hospital at Jayanagar and has been admitted under the care of senior consultant neurologist P. Satishchandra and his team. Mr. Kumaraswamy’s wife, Anitha Kumaraswamy, said he would be discharged on Friday.
British officials say AI chatbots could carry cyber risks
British officials are warning organisations about integrating artificial intelligence-driven chatbots into their businesses, saying that research has increasingly shown that they can be tricked into performing harmful tasks. The AI-powered tools are seeing early use as chatbots that some envision displacing not just internet searches but also customer service work and sales calls. The NCSC said that could carry risks, particularly if such models were plugged into other elements of an organisation's business processes. Academics and researchers have repeatedly found ways to subvert chatbots by feeding them rogue commands or fooling them into circumventing their own built-in guardrails.
